Taiwan Nomad Visa

What is the Taiwan digital nomad visa?

It is a visitor visa for remote workers that Taiwan introduced in January 2025. The Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) issues it after the National Development Council (NDC) reviews your income, savings and remote work.

Nigerian passport holders cannot use it. BOCA states that only nationals of countries on Taiwan's visa-exempt list are eligible, and Nigeria is not on that list. If you hold a second passport from a visa-exempt country (for example the UK, an EU state, the US or Canada), you may qualify on that passport. If not, the realistic route is the Employment Gold Card, covered below.

Who can apply for the Taiwan digital nomad visa?

Nationals of Taiwan's visa-exempt countries who work remotely and meet the money rules. BOCA lists more than sixty countries for visa-exempt entry, mostly in Europe, North America and parts of Asia and Latin America.

• You must show remote work: a CV or portfolio, a valid work contract (or current client contracts if you freelance) and a completed Description of Intended Activities form.
• You must meet one income test (see the next section).
• You need health and full hospitalisation insurance for the whole stay.
• Your passport needs at least six months of validity and blank pages.

An interview may be required, and the mission can ask for more documents case by case.

How much income do you need for the Taiwan digital nomad visa?

You need either a nomad visa from another country, or an annual salary of at least US$40,000 (age 30 and over) or US$20,000 (age 20 to 29) in one of the past two years. On top of that, BOCA asks for bank statements showing an average balance of at least US$10,000 each month over the last six months.

Salary can be proved with a tax certificate from your country or a salary certificate from your employer. The amounts can be held in another currency at the equivalent value.

How long can you stay, and can you renew it?

When the visa launched in 2025 it allowed three months plus a three-month extension. In September 2025 the NDC said the amended Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, passed on 29 August 2025, extends the maximum stay from six months to two years.

KPMG reported that the amendments took effect on 1 January 2026. BOCA's visa page does not spell out the current initial stay or extension steps, so confirm them with the mission before you plan a long stay.

How much does it cost?

BOCA charges its standard visitor visa fee, which is set in its fee schedule for foreign passports and varies by nationality and visa type. The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.

Budget separately for health insurance covering the full stay and for translating or certifying documents if the mission asks.

What documents do you need?

• Online application form, printed and signed.
• Two identical colour photos (45 mm by 35 mm, white background, taken in the last six months).
• Passport (original and copy), valid for six months or more.
• CV or portfolio, a valid work or client contract, and the Description of Intended Activities form.
• Proof of salary (tax certificate or employer's salary certificate), or proof of another country's nomad visa.
• Six months of bank statements averaging US$10,000 or more each month.
• Proof of health and hospitalisation insurance for the whole stay.

How do you apply from Nigeria?

On a Nigerian passport you cannot apply for the digital nomad visitor visa. Your two practical options are a second passport from a visa-exempt country, or the Employment Gold Card.

The Gold Card is a combined open work permit, resident visa and residence permit for skilled professionals, valid for one to three years. It lets you work for any employer, including a foreign one, so it suits a remote worker who meets its criteria. The Gold Card pages we read do not mention any nationality limit.

1. Check which field you fit. The Gold Card has twelve fields (digital, economy, finance, education, arts and others). In the digital field, one criterion is a most recent monthly salary of at least NT$160,000, from an employer in Taiwan or abroad.
2. If you do not yet earn at that level from a foreign employer, build that first; our remote jobs board is a place to start.
3. Apply on the Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform (coa.immigration.gov.tw) and pay the fee online.
4. Applicants abroad must have their passport inspected by BOCA or a Taiwan overseas mission. Taiwan's office in Nigeria is the Taipei Trade Office at 23A Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos; confirm with them that they handle the inspection.
5. Once approved, download the Resident Authorization Certificate, enter Taiwan and collect the card within 30 days of arrival.

Gold Card fees for most foreign passports are NT$3,700, NT$4,700 or NT$5,700 for one, two or three years. If you want help preparing either application, our Premium membership includes nomad visa assistance.

How long does processing take?

BOCA does not publish a processing time for the digital nomad visa, and the NDC review adds a step. If the mission asks for extra documents you must send them within three working days.

For the Gold Card, the official site says the whole process can take more than 60 business days with complete documents.

Do you pay tax in Taiwan on a digital nomad visa?

Taiwan's Ministry of Finance treats a foreigner who stays 183 days or more in a calendar year as a tax resident. Residents file a return each May on Taiwan-source income, which includes pay for work physically done in Taiwan even if it is paid from abroad.

Below 183 days, tax on Taiwan-source income is generally withheld at source. Foreign income can also count toward Taiwan's income basic tax for residents. This is general information, not tax advice.

Can you bring your family?

BOCA's digital nomad page does not cover dependants, so a spouse or child would need their own eligible visa. The Gold Card site says holders can bring their family, which is another reason it is the stronger option for longer stays.

What to know before you move

• Working hours: Taiwan is on UTC+8, seven hours ahead of Lagos (WAT, UTC+1). Mornings in Lagos are afternoons in Taipei, so European clients fit better than American ones.
• No local employer on the nomad visa: it is for remote work done for employers or clients abroad. The Gold Card is the route if you want to take a Taiwanese job.
• Health insurance: the nomad visa requires cover for your whole stay, including hospitalisation.
• Getting paid: keep income arriving through accounts with clear statements; both routes depend on proving salary and balances.

If neither route works on a Nigerian passport, Thailand and Sri Lanka run remote work visas that Nigerians can apply for.